THE NEW KHAO YAI HAS MORE TO OFFER THAN JUST FAMILY VACATIONS

Khao Yai has been a typical go-to for Thai family vacations for decades. It’s less than three hours away and has everything from homey restaurants to wild animals, a place where you can take a big family vacation with the grandparents without breaking the bank. But the new Khao Yai can just be fun.

Eat

Thanks to Khaam, Khao Yai has an answer to the matcha craze with high-quality Japanese tea (from B130) and light pastries. Fans of Thai mango treats can head to The Mango House Farm (Nong Makrut, Pak Chong; open Wed-Sun 9am-5pm) where second generation owners transformed their parents’ 250-rai mango farm into a cafe dedicated to mango treats. Try their torched nam dok mai mango—with a burnt texture reminiscent of creme brulee—topped with thick whipped cream. For lunch, there’s a decent local lunch spot at 505 Kow Hom Potchana Kitchen, that serves the meanest crispy pork salt and chilly (B215).

Make a stop at Issara Estates in Saraburi for Cafe Issara, which offers a B2,000 afternoon tea set picnic on the lawn where they grow the grapes for their wines. The price is for two and includes muscat sorbet, mini cheese platter, and macarons to name a few—plus two glasses of wine.

For something a little more high end, in 2019 Taninthorn “Noom” Chantarawan of the Michelin-starred Chim by Siam Wisdom quietly opened his chef’s table The Gardener placing a focus on Khao Yai’s local ingredients.

Drink

While Khao Yai has something of a stuffy or family-friendly reputation, it also offers a few drinking and nightlife experiences. The craft beer bar Taproom did a pop-up at Midwinter, and is currently hosting locally-made charcuterie cafe Larder until the end of January 2023.

To get your hands on weed, visit Diip shop by Good Neighbors Farm who wants to go against the THC hype and specifically focus on the medical side of weed—CBD only.

Stay

For stay, you have to check out the hot, new Intercontinental Khao Yai designed by none other than Bangkok’s favorite eccentric designer and starchitect, Bill Bensley. This one has a railway theme where you can actually sleep in a vintage train car refurbished into a luxury cabin with a living room. There are only 19 of these sleeper train type rooms and rates start at B15,000 per night—remember to book these rooms early. If sleeping in a narrow train carriage is not your thing, their standard room type starts at B7,000.

The property is located on an over-100-rai compound and comes with a 1.2-kilometer-long lake filled with fish, swans, and a very dense forest—an ecosystem that took 12 years to create. For food, they offer French, Poirot; and Thai, Somying. Try their grilled pork neck red curry (B450) and you’ll forget about the best panang you’ve had in your life. The main bar is Papillon which serves champagne-based cocktails (B420-590). ●

Shopping

New aesthetic clinic at Mahanakhon Cube pushes for beauty diversity

If you’re worn out with beauty clinics upselling you treatments and products or trying to tell you what you need to do with your face or body in order to look “beautiful” based on their standards, check out the new Solne. The dermatologists offer custom services based on your needs and wants via a 45-minute consultation session (included in the treatment fees). Pico laser treatments start at B7,500 and Botox starts at B10,000 for 100 units.

3/F, 96 Mahanakhon Cube, 02-077-8684

Shopping

Shopping

Hey, sneakerheads, Nike’s largest store is open at Central World

After opening its previous flagship store at Siam Center in 2019, the sportswear giant opened a brand-new shop at Central World, boasting its largest space in Thailand yet and coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Air Force 1s. Taking over the old space from Mango on the second floor of Central World, the store—spanning over 1,030 sqm—is the first to include a maternity collection and skateboarders can also expect to see limited edition Nike Skateboards.

2/F, CentralWorld.

Local boutique jewelry brand Matara opens its third store at Gaysorn Village

Founded in 2014 by three friends, Matara’s Gaysorn Village branch makes their third location in Bangkok after Central Embassy and Peninsula Bangkok. The new store offers a consultation area for fitting and advice, and a personal shopping experience can also be provided. Customers are able to get designs personalized in two weeks. A pair of mini caviar-style earrings made of freshwater pearls come in five different colors starting at B1,890—accessible for younger, fashion-oriented collectors.

2/F Gaysorn Centre, Gaysorn, Village Bangkok, 065-924-6559

Shopping

A new website where you can buy art by emerging artists

Contemporary art gallery 333 Gallery has just launched a new website, 333gallery.com, to support the local art scene even further. On the website, you can attend a virtual 3D gallery of their exhibitions, making local art more easily accessible. On top of that, the website makes it possible for art collectors worldwide—with their no-minimum free shipping—to buy art by both Thai and international artists. Artists can sell their works by signing up for the website and verifying their identity.